Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Peter SchorschMarch 8, 2018

Aakash Patel kept his foot on the pedal last month, tacking on nearly $25,000 for his Hillsborough County Commission campaign. “I am extremely humbled by the outpouring of support and I am very excited about moving forward as our outreach to donors continues to bring diverse participation from our community,” Patel said. “It is an […]

Mitch PerryMarch 7, 2018

Commissioner Les Miller‘s proposal to have Hillsborough County ban assault weapons died Wednesday after failing to pick up a second vote from the County Commission. The five-member board did come out to support a measure extending the waiting period to buy a firearm in the county from three days to five, as well as voting to advance new […]

Mitch PerryFebruary 19, 2018

As a consequence of funding issues, the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) made sweeping changes to its bus system last fall, cutting nearly 20 percent of all routes.The decision alienated some County Commissioners, unhappy with the level of service reductions in their districts. HART staff heard those objections loud and clear, saying they intended […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 20, 2018

The Florida Commission on Ethics decided Friday to give Hillsborough County Commission Ken Hagan the opportunity to amend a petition requesting that activist George Niemann pay his legal fees. The decision came after a commission attorney advocated that Hagan’s petition be dismissed. The county paid Hagan’s attorney, Mark Levine, $7,841 last year to defend the District 5 commissioner […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 19, 2018

A transportation plan for the Tampa Bay area that would use bus rapid transit (BRT) and not rail to move riders from Wesley Chapel in Pasco County to downtown St. Petersburg was introduced to the public Friday. Called a “catalyst” project because of the hopes that it would jumpstart transit planning in the region, the […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 16, 2018

There are a number of first-time candidates running for office in Hillsborough County this year, but none are more successful at raising campaign cash than Aakash Patel, the 33-year-old Tampa businessman who is running for the District 1 seat on the Hillsborough County Commission. Patel added more than $9,000 to his campaign coffers last month and now […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 6, 2018

Republican Todd Marks has to run for the District 1 seat on the Hillsborough County Commission. The attorney and small-business owner joins Aakash Patel in the race for the GOP nomination. Florida House Democratic Leader Janet Cruz, who is term-limited from running again, is the lone Democrat in the race. Marks runs Westchase Law, a Tampa-based law […]

Mitch PerryDecember 6, 2017

Hillsborough County demographics are changing more and more every year, but two prestigious boards in the region are represented almost exclusively by white men (or white-led) organizations. Take the Tampa Bay Partnership. CEO Rick Homans and Dave Sobush, the agency’s director of policy and research, came before the Hillsborough County Commission Wednesday to present some […]

Mitch PerryDecember 6, 2017

Nearly three months after Hillsborough County Administrator Mike Merrill and Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn engaged in a verbal skirmish about who had the power to call for an emergency curfew in Tampa, County Commissioners would like local state legislators to weigh in. The issue goes back to the days leading up the arrival of Hurricane Irma […]

Drew WilsonDecember 4, 2017

Hillsborough County Commission candidate Aakash Patel piled on another and a few thousand more for his campaign and committee last month, to give him $310,121 in total fundraising a year out from Election Day. Patel is running for the District 1 seat being vacated prematurely by Commissioner Sandy Murman next year. Murman intends to leave the […]

Tag: Sandy Murman

Aakash Patel adds another $25K in Hillsborough Commission race

Hillsborough Commission rejects assault weapons ban

Hillsborough lawmakers pleased with changes to HART routes

Ethics commission delays Ken Hagan’s legal fee case

Rapid transit plan – Wesley Chapel to St. Pete – gets unveiled

Aakash Patel continues fundraising prowess in Hillsborough Commission race

Republican Todd Marks takes aim at Hillsborough Commission District 1 seat

Hillsborough Commission Democrats question lack of diversity in 2 local organizations

Hillsborough Commissioners want Legislature to address who has curfew power

Aakash Patel has raised more than $310K for Hillsborough Commission bid

Florida politics had 11 questions before federal qualifying week. Here are the answers.